Celtic pride

^{Photo: MICHAEL PASSERINI}

It's no secret that we Bostonians love our history, but we also have a knack for progress and innovation. (We traded Manny, didn't we?) That's why we're looking forward to this year's Boston Celtic Music Fest. On Friday, January 6, and Saturday, January 7, we'll see Harvard Square transformed into a sonic shrine for both classical and hybridized forms of Irish, Scottish, and Cape Breton song and dance. The fest kicks off on Friday night at Club Passim (47 Palmer Street, Cambridge) and The Atrium (50 Church Street, 4th Floor, Cambridge), where the line-up includes Neil Pearlman and Friends, who'll deliver dance-floor-worthy Latin-meets-Scottish medleys. Then on Saturday, the fest continues at Passim and First Parish Church (1446 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge), which will host a day-long roster of acts ranging from rowdy unplugged duo the Whiskey Boys to Middleborough's own NØÍR, whose blend of Irish music and Norwegian fiddling should summon Sigur Rós fans like a dog whistle. But our pick for the most intriguing performance is Saturday's McThriller, which sounds like a jalapeño-laden fast-food sandwich but is actually a Celtic reinvention of Michael Jackson's seminal singles. (Think titles like "Willie Jean" and "The Lass in the Mirror.") It all culminates in a grand finale featuring more than a dozen performers (including Shannon Heaton and Maeve Gilchrist, pictured here). For show times and ticketing info, visit bcmfest.com.